Courage is an apostolate of the Roman Catholic Church that provides spiritual support for men and women with same-sex attractions who desire to develop lives of interior chastity in union with Christ.

Sunday, April 17, 2011

Weekly News (Second Week of April 2011)

1. Benedict XVI's Holy Week Calendar

VATICAN CITY, APRIL 14, 2011 (Zenit.org).- Today the Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff published the calendar of ceremonies to be presided over by Benedict XVI during Holy Week. [Read More]

2. JP II Shrine To Rise in Former Bataan Refugee Camp

MANILA, April 13, 2011—The Philippines will have its first shrine to Pope John Paul II at a former refugee camp in Bataan’s Morong town which the pontiff visited 30 years ago. [Read More]

3. Youth Challenged to Create New Renaissance With Social Media

Rome, Italy, Apr 15, 2011 / 04:05 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- The Secretary of the Vatican’s Pontifical Council on Social Communications says he wants to challenge young Catholics to “be geniuses and creators of a new Renaissance” using social media. [Read More]

4. Poverty Not Reduced by Population Control, States Vatican’s UN Observer

New York City, N.Y., Apr 14, 2011 / 01:08 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The chief Vatican representative to the United Nations said that pushing population control methods on underdeveloped countries offends human dignity and ultimately proves ineffective in eradicating global poverty. [Read More]

5. 'Incredible' Victory for Marriage, Family

The Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans has ruled to protect marriage and the natural family. [Read More]

LINCOLN, Nebraska, April 15, 2011 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Priests should not use concerns over “prudence” as an excuse to avoid speaking boldly on the immorality of homosexual acts, says Bishop Fabian Bruskewitz of Lincoln, Nebraska. [Read More]

7. Obama Administration Castigates Vatican Over Family Planning

The contrast between the priorities of the developed and developing world was as clear as night and day.

“It is detrimental to not have adequate family planning resources,” a visibly US delegate told the room. “Why is there a resistance to acknowledging access to family planning as a necessity?” [Read More]

8. Stages of Love in The Spiritual Life

There are three stages in our love for God: servile love, mercenary love and filial love. [Read More]

9. Marriage 101

WASHINGTON (CNS) — The decline of traditional marriage in America continues to affect students’ education and the future welfare of the Catholic Church, said a University of Virginia professor at a symposium at The Catholic University of America. [Read More]

10. An Amazing Testimony – How God Transformed the Life of a Drag Queen ‘Star,’ Trace McNutt

On this, the homosexual activist “Day of Silence” in schools, we cannot remain silent about how God continues to help people out of the homosexual lifestyle — in this case, a former “drag queen” whose stage name was “Coma,” but whose actual name is Trace McNutt. Please take the time to watch all 11 short YouTube segments, and pass them on to your friends and family (especially those who have never seen an ex-homosexual testimony).

Courage Community

Vision

A community of persons with same sex concerns, empowered in facing their condition, accepted and respected by society.

Mission

The group is inspired by Christ to live chaste lives in accordance with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church.

Five Goals of Courage

1.CHASTITY– Live chaste lives in accordance with the Roman Catholic Church’s teaching on homosexuality.

2.PRAYER AND DEDICATION – Dedicate one’s life to Christ through service to others, spiritual reading, prayer, meditation, individual spiritual direction, frequent attendance at Mass, and the frequent reception of the sacraments of Reconciliation and Holy Eucharist.

3.FELLOWSHIP – Foster a spirit of fellowship in which all may share thoughts and experiences, and so ensure that no one will have to face the problems of homosexuality alone.

4.SUPPORT – Be mindful of the truth that chaste friendships are not only possible but necessary in a chaste Christian life, and in doing so provide encouragement to one another in forming and sustaining them.

5.GOOD EXAMPLE – Live lives that may serve as good examples to others.

Portraits of Courage

For the first time, the members of Courage step from the shadows of anonymity to face the camera. In thisPortraits of Couragepresentation which includes Part I - Into The Light (3-part videos)and Part II - Cry of the Faithful (3-part videos), they reveal their struggles with homosexuality and the amazing grace of chastity within Courage.

Understand the Catholic Church's controversial teaching on homosexuality from the first person singular. With unsparing honesty, the men and women of Courage bring together the truth and compassion of the Church's timeless wisdom.